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This is the ancestral house of the prominent Pelaez family, which is a variation of the “bahay na bato”.This was the home of the former Vice President, Senator and Ambassador named Emmanuel Pelaez.This house is built mainly of wood, concrete and galvanized iron sheets, which were introduced by the American colonizers.The large floor to ceiling heights are like the original “bahay na bato”, but the configuration and slope of the roof are definitely 20th century, which were designed from more practical galvanized iron sheets.

The spacious 2nd floor interiors, bedroom walls are embellished by a series of elegant wood cutouts to allow the breeze to circulate in the house.The Pelaez ancestral house, a forged outcome of local and diverse external cultures, is a testament of the genteel Filipino lifestyle.

Social and Political Situation

The Japanese introduced a new cultural dimension.The Japanese wanted to eradicate all western influences and give the Filipinos a sense of nationalism.The Japanese wanted the Philippines to have collaboration with them which would ultimately lead to influence of the social and political life of the Philippines after WW II.

The relationship of the Philippines and the USA took a dive when after the war there was lack of postwar foreign aid, especially compared to the aid former enemies were given such as Japan and Germany.This was so because when the Americans “helped” the Philippines it was obvious that the Americans still had their own interests in mind.Feeling let down and betrayed by the Americans, the Filipinos became eager participants in the ASEAN.

Originally the vacation house of Rodolfo Neri-Pelaez and Elsa Pelaez, founders of Liceo de Cagayan University, it became their permanent residence in 1976. By 1997 it was converted into a museum. The museum showcases the Pelaez family heirlooms and memorabilia. Antique chinese jars and wares from various Chinese dynasties are on display.

The Laya-ubaldo house is an enlarged version of tsalet which was a trademark of middle-class living during the time it was built.It is a 2 story wood and concrete structure that has a grand staircase in front of the house to lead to a canopy.Also at the front of the house there is a porch that is covered with an iron grille.There is also a canopy that is extended over the porch to protect it from rain and sunlight.

Functionality and simplicity were the importance in the styles of houses during this period.This structure however is somewhat different from the “bahay na bato” and “bahay kubo” because there are bed rooms in the first floor as well as the second floor.Because the building is simply built, it makes it easy to maintain.General areas of the house are well ventilated.This house was uses as quarters for visiting government officials during the Philippine Commonwealth period and as the office of the Ministry of tourism in the 1970’s.

The Finance building is an architectural monument designed by architect Antonio Toledo in the classical style, which was in vogue for government building in the late 1930s. The building designed with interiors of generous ceiling height around a spacious central court. Corinthian colonnades and neoclassic details are consistently found throughout the interiors. The central court allows the flow of air within the building. Even without the aid of air conditioners, the temperature in the building is pleasant.

The building was originally constructed for the Dept. of Finance a mirror-image image building, originally intended for the Dept. of Agriculture, now houses the Dept. of Tourism. The two buildings face a rotunda in the Rizal Park known as the Agrifina Circle. This ensemble of neoclassic-inspired buildings is composed of the few structures that survived the ravages of WWII in Manila. The Finance building was renovated in the late 1990s and established as the Museum of the Filipino People.

The Post Office building in Libmanan, Camarines Sur is an excellent piece of architecture. Even in its present deteriorated condition, the small building still reflects the outstanding skill of the architect who gave it as such importance as a structure of a more significant size. The graceful cantilevered entrance canopies are a perfect foil for what would have been an ordinary quarto aguas roof. The canopies hang from the wall with iron chains and are elegantly supported by wrought-iron brackets. The rectangular windows veiled with crosshatched wrought-iron grilles crowned with curvilinear motif temper the rhythm of the arched openings around the building.

Civic structures built during the American colonial period that were not heavily damaged during the WWII should be seriously considered for restoration. There are a lot of these civic structures in the provinces that are still functional such as schoolhouses, train stations, municipal halls and provincial capitols. Instead of building new ones of substantial materials, the government should consider repairing these building of durable and historical material.

The main building of t he Philippine Postal Corporation, so named by Republic Act 7354 in 1992, is one of the best examples of the neoclassical style, in vogue for government structures during the Commonwealth period. Architect Juan Arellano designed the grand, elegantly proportioned reinforced concrete structure. It was in complete mastery of visual effect of the building from all points of the city center. Located around the Plaza Lawton, McArthur Bridge, Jones Bridge, the Escolta are the Pasig River. The Post Office was crafted with a keen sensitivity to the visual impact of the building site. The mastery of neo-calssical medium is best appreciated when the building is bathed in the golden afternoon Philippine sunlight and reflected in the waters of the Pasig River. The main pedestrian approach is a set of concrete steps that terminates in an awesome row of fourteen grand lonic columns. These columns slightly project off the façade, creating a framed effect.

The building continues to be used as the main post office of the country, but the cavernous interior is in need of major renovation and technical upgrading to accommodate the increased requirements of postal system. The first postal office in Manila was established in 1767; it eventually became a postal district of Spain and a member of the Universal Postal Union. With the takeover of the American colonial government, it became a bureau of Dept. of Trade but suffered the same tragic fate as that of the many beautiful buildings of Manila during WWII. But repair and reconstruction was immediately effected in 1946. The postal office was placed under the Dept. of Transportation and Communication and named the Postal Service Office 1987. Architecturally, the Philippine Post Office was one of a series of civic structures that symbolized the takeover of Imperial America of the Chino-Hispanic influence in construction.

Built to adhere the needs of the La Proteccion de la Infancia Inc. that is an outreach organization for the protection of infants from sickness through the distribution of fresh milks. A philanthropist Teodoro R. Yangco founded the organization in 1907. Architects Arcadio Arellano and Juan Arellano, based from the design of Osepedale Degli Innocenti, designed the original structure, an orphanage in Florence, Italy designed by Renaissance architect Brunelleschi in 1421. The arcaded loggia, semi-circular arches on round columns and medallions on the spandrels, shaded veranda for the generous window of the clinic are features incorporated in the Gota De Leche – indeed very appropriate in the tropical climate of the Philippines. The building, a two-storey rectangular plan, is constructed of brick masonry. A tall arched portal serves as the main entrance to the building. The decorative motifs used throughout the building are images of robust infants. The Gota De Leche is one of the few success stories of heritage conservation in the Philippines. The careful restoration of this structure is a welcome model for preserving Manila’s rich architectural and social history.